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1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a dripper device for a water spigot and, more particularly, to a dripper device including a flow controller housing a flexible membrane allowing a minimal amount of water to flow therethrough for preventing water pipes from freezing during low temperatures.
2. Prior Art
Cold climates can cause severe damage to water pipes. When water in pipes freezes, it can cause the pipes to rupture. Such a rupture can damage the interiors of homes especially in areas where severe freezing is sufficiently infrequent that plumbing design does not include adequate thermal protection. Exterior faucets or water spigots are especially susceptible to such freezing, though, such freezing is by no means limited to exposed water spigots and can occur in any unprotected water pipe when ambient temperatures drop to 32 degrees Fahrenheit and below.
Many freeze protection devices have been developed but employ complicated temperature-actuated and/or air pressure-actuated mechanical parts, for example, that are susceptible to fatigue over time. Such devices proposed during previous years can be divided into two different main categories: (1) attempting to keep the temperature of the water in the pipe above freezing point, and (2) keeping the water in the pipe moving.
Attempts in accordance with the first category have included different ways of insulating the pipes. Such proposals have increased material and installation costs and have not given satisfactory results.
Attempts according to the second category have included an old, well-tried method of keeping a water spigot open during the winter. Unfortunately, unless the water flow is controlled, keeping the water spigot open has the disadvantage of increasing water consumption considerably. It is difficult to set the water spigot open sufficiently to be sure that the water does not freeze in the pipes and a homeowner must be aware of an oncoming freezing period to remember to open and close the valve(s). Consequently, if the homeowner is away from home when the freezing occurs or if the home is a vacation home in an area where freezing is normally unexpected, manually turning the water spigot on/off for freeze protection must be done by a neighbor.
An example of a previous device that prevents water pipes from freezing by maintaining a constant flow of water through the pipes is U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,786 to Rozenblatt. Rozenblatt discloses a water flow control valve housing a cylindrical valve member axially slidable between an open and closed position. When the supply line is pressurized, a float in the bore of the valve member moves against a seat in the valve member to stop the flow of water inside the valve. Likewise, when the supply line is depressurized, the float moves away from the valve member seat due to gravity to permit draining of the supply line.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,828 to Barrineau Sr., et al. discloses an automatically operated valve to prevent freezing of water lines. The water faucet has female threads to accommodate a drip valve, which is threaded into a standard xe2x80x9cteexe2x80x9d type plumbing fitting. The drip valve includes an elongated housing having a temperature-monitoring device within its upper portion and a moveable tip at its lower portion. When water temperature falls to freezing levels, a wax-like substance in the upper portion of the device contracts, causing the tip to reflex and allows water to flow through an opening at the bottom of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,481 to Chamberlin et al. discloses a self-actuating drip valve housing a valve seat that moves towards the faucet when the device is in use. A valve stem, having a valve tip, is secured to a base plate situated between concentric extendable walls that extend along the housing. The valve stem extends within the extendable walls and the base plate may be adjusted for moving the valve stem relative to the valve seat.
Other examples of anti-freeze devices that use sensitive mechanical parts to maintain the flow of water in pipes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,446,226 to Canterbury; 3,369,556 to Allderdice; 3,380,464 to Arterbury et al.; and 3,618,625 to Walters.
None of the above-mentioned prior art devices can be considered safe from mechanical failure before onset of freezing weather. For example, devices requiring adjustment to set the temperature of actuation are subject to wrong settings or to change of settings caused by movement in the mechanism. Other devices containing an actuation chamber filled with water or another expansible substance can be subject to undetected leakage through o-rings, seals, or threads, and consequently will fail to open during sub-freezing conditions. If such failure occurs, the condition will not be visible in these devices until after the freeze has been followed by a thaw.
Accordingly, there is a need for a failure-safe freeze prevention device that does not require the homeowner to repeatedly adjust the water spigot on and/or off to regulate the flow as temperature conditions change. As set forth below, the solution to the problem has been achieved by using a few simple and reliable components that function without the need for movable mechanical parts or the need to repeatedly adjust the flow of the water spigot during freezing weather. The present invention can be used with several other different water outlets such as a xe2x80x9cYxe2x80x9d or two-way water spigot connector and a male end of a standard water hose, for example.
In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the invention to provide a dripper device including few moving parts for water spigots. These and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention, are provided by a dripper apparatus for a water spigot including a coupler, which includes a threaded female member for connecting to a water spigot, and defining a first axial bore. A generally cylindrical elongate member has a longitudinal portion defining a second axial bore in fluid communication with the first axial bore. The elongate member also has an upper portion with a diameter smaller than a diameter of the first axial bore so that the upper portion defines a seat within the first axial bore.
A flow controller is in the first axial bore seated on the seat and maintained in the upper portion, and a filter screen is also in the first axial bore positioned upstream of the controller. The filter screen collects particles in water flowing therethrough so that the controller does not become clogged. The filter screen includes a washer attached around a lower end thereof against which a spigot is removably sealed.
The female member includes a lower lip and the elongate member has a first groove extending around an outer surface of the upper portion for receiving the lip so that the female member may rotate about the groove. The longitudinal portion further includes a lower portion that has a generally equal diameter to the upper portion. The lower and upper portions are connected via a mid-portion having a larger diameter than the diameters of the upper and lower portions and for forming first and second spaced shoulders adjacent respective top and bottom ends of the mid-portion. The lower portion further includes an angular or annular shoulder adjacent its lower free end to help secure a poly-drip hose so that water can be directed away from the controller.
The flow controller includes a housing, an upper inlet for receiving a first flow rate of water from a spigot, a cavity defined within the housing and in fluid contact with the upper inlet, a flexible membrane housed within the cavity for regulating the first flow rate of water, and a lower outlet in fluid contact with the cavity for receiving and discharging a second flow rate of water therefrom which is substantially equal to a first flow rate of water entering the upper inlet. The flow controller has a diameter larger than the diameter of the upper portion of the longitudinal portion so that the controller remains within the female section.
The cavity has an upper portion and a lower portion in fluid communication therebetween with the flexible membrane being disposed between the upper and lower portions of the cavity. The flexible membrane has a generally circular shape and a diameter that is smaller than a diameter of the cavity. Such a flexible membrane may be formed of a rubber-like material, for example.
The lower portion includes a plurality of protrusions extending upward from a lower surface thereof, the plurality of protrusions being spaced apart and causing the flexible membrane to float when water enters the cavity via the upper inlet.
The housing includes an upwardly extending tube with its upper end defining the upper inlet. The upwardly extending tube is positioned generally centrally of the upper portion and is generally cylindrical. The housing includes a downwardly extending tube with its lower end defining the lower outlet. The downwardly extending tube is positioned generally at a perimeter of the lower portion and is also generally cylindrical. The upper inlet and the lower outlet each define a slotted opening, which may serve as a secondary filter. The opening at the lower inlet is substantially perpendicular to the lower portion of the cavity while the opening at the upper inlet is angled to the upper portion of the cavity.